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Haikou
Prefecture-level city in Hainan, People's Republic of China

Haikou

Haikou is the capital and most populous city of the Chinese province of Hainan.

Plan a trip to Haikou→From Zhanjiang

Haikou city is situated on the northern coast of Hainan, by the mouth of the Nandu River. The northern part of the city is on the Haidian Island, which is separated from the main part of Haikou by the Haidian River, a branch of the Nandu. Administratively, Haikou is a prefecture-level city, comprising four districts, and covering 2,280 square kilometres (880 sq mi). There are 2,046,189 inhabitants in the built-up area, all living within the four urban districts of the city.

Get in

Getting to Haikou

Haikou is a transport hub with flights to many cities and boats to nearby mainland cities such as Beihai and Zhanjiang.

  1. 01
    Haikou Meilan International Airport
  2. 02
    Haikou Railway Station
  3. 03
    Haikou East Railway Station
  4. 04
    Haikou Bus Terminal
Do

Things to do

Sea Turtles 911. The only non-profit organization promoting sea turtle conservation in China, Sea Turtles 911's primary facility is a floating sea turtle hospital in Lingshui near Nanwan Monkey Island, and programs in Sanya and Haikou. While on Hainan Island visitors are welcome to volunteer with the sea turtles and the organization's educational programs. Recommended donation.

  1. 01
    Changying Wonderland
  2. 02
    Splash City
  3. 03
    Haikou Bay Performing Arts Center
  4. 04
    Hainan Center for the Performing Arts
Eat

Where to eat

The tropical weather of Haikou has attracted the Chinese all over the country to move to this island, along with their specialty. While most tourists don't come to Haikou for food, an impressive choice of foods is a hidden gem. The cooking style is a fusion of Cantonese, Hokkienese and certain Southeast Asian elements and seafood is impressive. Prices have surged as the tourism industry is booming.

  1. 01
    The Manchurian

    The flagship restaurant is located at 49 Haixiu Avenue (海秀大道49号) near the Longhua Road intersection.

  2. 02
    Hainan Restaurant
  3. 03
    Yushang Jianglai Xinjiang Cuisine
  4. 04
    Romantic Turkey
  5. 05
    Songchuanjie Exquisite Cuisine
How locals move

Getting around Haikou the local way

  • Get inFrom the mainland There is a train link between Haikou and Guangdong province (the trains are loaded onto ferries to cross the strait).
  • Get inIf you're coming from Southwest China, however, you may want to consider getting a high-speed train to Beihai, then taking a ferry to Haikou from there.
  • Get inBuses are loaded on to ferries and arrive in Haikou at either New Port or Xiuying Port.
  • Get inHere are a few examples of journey duration and price (as of July 2023): From Guangzhou (7.5 to 12 hours) ¥190-210 From Guilin (10 hours) ¥328 From Shenzhen (18 to 30 hours) ¥260-310 The city has three main bus stations: Bus stations can also be found at the airport and the two ferry terminals.
  • Get inThere are frequent daily ferries between Haikou and Xuwen.
  • Get inThe journey time and fare varies according to which ferry terminal you choose to depart from.
  • Get inA new ferry terminal opened at Xuwen Port (徐闻港) in October 2020.
  • Get inFerries from Xuwen Port to Haikou's New Port take around 60 minutes.

From Wikivoyage: Haikou, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.